BA of the Week: Doctor Popular

Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit — probably not.

Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.

I first met Doctor Popular at a reading for The Rumpus. I think I’d only been back in SF for a little while after having lived in NYC, and Isaac Fitzgerald had asked me to read at the event. Doctor Popular was also on the bill doing some of his amazingly fancy yo-yo tricks. If I’m not mistaken I think he was a national yo-yo champion at some point. But then again I am often mistaken. Anyways, he’s also a dope musician and has a great new project out.

Doc Pop (as his friends call him)makes music on handheld gaming systems (also known as chiptunes). Old GameBoys are easy to find and super cheap, perfect for Broke Ass musicians.You can can pre-order his new album for just $1 here. Also check out his photo zines here. He’s a talented guy. Check out his kickstarter video below and his answers about brokeitude below that:

What do you refuse to spend money on?: Cabs. I’d rather spend an hour walking home.

Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: A pair of jeans from Self Edge.

How’d that feel?: I wore ‘em non-stop for 3 years. Best investment ever… would recommend again!

Favorite cheap eat: $10 burger and a beer night at Dr. Teeth! We go every Monday night after climbing and fill up on the fantastic tater tots and beer.

Favorite dive bar:Doc’s Clock. No TVs and it’s never too crowded to talk to your friends.

Best deal you’ve ever gotten: A $45 bike from Don Rafa’s Cyclery. I was still “just visiting” San Francisco at the time, but it was cheaper than renting a bike for a week and I figured I could just sell it back before I left. I never ended up catching my flight back to Minneapolis and that cheap Peugot is still riding great.

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

I've been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle , "an SF cult hero": SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York, but to those familiar with my work, I'm just "that douchebag who writes books about cheap stuff and drinks a lot".

You were right about the yo-yo thing. I used to be a pro, that’s how I ended up moving to SF too, but that’s a long story. Got 3rd in the world, National Trick Innovator of the year, and made up some tricks that worked their way into yo-yo contest compulsories (such as Skin the Gerbil).

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We write for busboys, poets, social workers, students, artists, musicians, magicians, mathematicians, maniacs, yodelers and everyone else out there who wants to enjoy life not as a rich person, but as a real person. Namely, we write for you.